Clamp for shoe-uppers.



v1-'i0.'4s2e,s.4o. PATENTED JULY 24,1906.

J 0. WRIGHT.

CLAMP FOR SHOE UPPERS.

' APPLIOIATION rum) MAR.6.1905.

v witnesses 4 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFron.

JOHN GORYDCN WRIGHT, OF NASHVILLE TENNESSEE. I I CLAMP FOR SHOE-UPPERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24 1906.

Application filed March 6,1905. Serial No. 248,558-

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN CORYDQN WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee,.have invented a new and useful Clamp for Shoe-Uppers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates moreparticularly to means for holding shoe-uppers upon a last while said uppers are being sewed to the soles.

The principal object is to provide a novel and simple structure which will maintain the upper upon the last throughout the entire extent of the toe, so that said upper cannot become displaced or wrinkled. At the same time the said structure will not materially interfere with the sewing operation and can lloe readily applied to and removed from the ast.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an upper held upon the last by the novel clamp.

ig. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the clamp members. Fig. 4 is a crosssectional view through a last, showing the upper as first placed thereon and indicating in dotted lines the clamp.

Similar reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The structure is intended more particularly for that class known as stitch-down shoes, in which the lower margin of the upper about the toe is turned outwardly upon the margins of the sole and sewed thereupon. Such an upper is shown at 5, the sole being designated 6 and the two inclosing a last 7, which may be of any desired form and construction. In connection with such last there is employed a clamp comprising opposing members 8, having their inner sides recessed, as shown at 9, and the faces thereof conforming to the configuration of the toe portion of the last.' Moreover, these clamp members are arranged to substantially cover said toe portion, and thus have side portions and inwardly-extending end portions 10, that will clamp snugly up on the upper placed upon said last. For the purpose of securing this clamping action the members 8 are provided with upstanding cars 11, disposed in convergent relation and having their tops 12 abutted and constituting, in effect, fulcru-ms. Through these ears and below the tops are loosely passed clampingbolts 13, which are provided with suitable nuts 14, by means of which the members can be drawn toward each other.

In using this structure the upper is first placed upon the last and the lower margin tacked beneath the same, as shown in Fig. 4. The clamp members are then applied and conform to the shape of the last. It will be apparent that they will securely hold the upper thereon against displacement and against wrinkling. The free margins against the last are then detached therefrom and are turned outwardly, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, after which the sole is tacked to the last.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the clamp members terminate a slight distance above the bottom of the last, and consequently the sole and upper may be readily sewed together. Thus a simple structure is provided which can be readily applied to and removed from the last and when in place will constitute efficient means for properly maintaining the upper thereupon until the same is sewed to the sole.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advan tages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, the

combination with opposing upper clamping members arranged to embrace and conform to the toe of a last and terminating short of the heel thereof, said members having a fulcrumecl engagement at their tops over such toe and having their lower portions spaced apart, of means connecting the members for drawing them together and clamping them upon a last.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with opposing upper clamping members having their top portions in fulcrumed engagement, of means located below the engaged portions and connecting the mem- IOC bers for swinging the lower portions toward each other and clamping the same upon a last.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with opposing upper clamping members having upstanding ears, the tops of which are in fulcrumed engagement, of a clamping-bolt connecting the ears below the engaged portions thereof, for swinging the members toward each other and clamping the same upon a last.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with upper clamping members having recesses, the walls of which conform substantially to the shape of the toe of a last and are arranged to bear against an upper placed thereon, of convergently-disposed upstanding ears carried by the members and having their upper ends in fulcrumed engagement, and bolts connecting the lower portions of the ears for drawing the members toward each other to clamp them upon a last. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN CORYDON WRIGHT. Witnesses:

J. P. FREEMAN, CHARLES P. NILEs. 4 

